Perfluorinated alkyl substances: Sewage treatment and implications for receiving waters

PFAS River Export Analysis Highlights the Urgent Need for Catchment-Scale Mass Loading Data

“…It is noteworthy that PFOS and PFOA were detected at ∼70% of sites, with the highest PFOS and PFOA concentrations found in northwest England in the River Mersey Basin. Effluents from wastewater treatments works (WwTWs) are thought to contribute substantial amounts of PFAS to rivers in England . While regulation of PFAS in most countries is currently limited to drinking water and surface water standards, others (e.g., United States and Australia) are moving toward restriction of commercial and industrial discharges to the environment .…”

“…While regulation of PFAS in most countries is currently limited to drinking water and surface water standards, others (e.g., United States and Australia) are moving toward restriction of commercial and industrial discharges to the environment . In most countries, the focus of regulators is likely to fall on key point sources such as WwTWs . However, understanding the transport and fate of these chemicals at the river catchment scale is essential when developing strategic plans and source models.…”

“…River basins and their anthropogenic and natural drainage systems ultimately control the fate of PFAS compounds by mobilizing PFAS from primary (manufacturing facilities) and secondary source areas (e.g., wastewater treatment works, landfills, airports, industry, and agriculture) and transporting them to the oceans. While recent studies have attempted source apportionment in river basins through analysis of riverine PFAS concentrations and catchment geodata sets, 14−17 19 While regulation of PFAS in most countries is currently limited to drinking water and surface water standards, others (e.g., United States and Australia) are moving toward restriction of commercial and industrial discharges to the environment. 20 In most countries, the focus of regulators is likely to fall on key point sources such as WwTWs.…”

“…20 In most countries, the focus of regulators is likely to fall on key point sources such as WwTWs. 19 However, understanding the transport and fate of these chemicals at the river catchment scale is essential when developing strategic plans and source models. While some recent studies have shed light on the behavior of PFAS in river basins, 14−16 there is a distinct lack of temporally and spatially variable mass loading data to establish the relative importance of different PFAS sources to overall PFAS river export.…”

Environmental Remediation of Perfluoroalkyl Substances: Current and Emerging Strategies

“…Over time, these products can release PFAS into the indoor environment, contributing to household dust and potentially contaminating nearby soil and water sources. Furthermore, the use of personal care products, cleaning agents, and fire extinguishing foams can introduce PFAS into residential wastewater, with potential implications for sewage treatment plants and groundwater (Comber et al, 2021). It is crucial to differentiate between industrial and residential sources of PFAS contamination to tailor targeted remediation approaches and effectively address environmental challenges in each situation.…”